1. The exact screen presentation (the GUI) of an application may not match exactly what would be seen on a purely native implementation. Usually, the differences are very minor, and do not detract from the user experience.
  2. The initial load and first run of a Flatpak adapted application will be slower than that of a native application. Subsequent runs will, however, be not noticeably slower to load than a native application.

FAQ

1. Q: Why should I use Flatpak?

A: Flatpak supports basically all Linux distributions. On Ubuntu, it also supports non-LTS releases – the .deb packages are only supported on LTS releases. Flatpak is also completely separated from other installations, so it's a good candidate to test beta versions etc.

2. Q: I am running Ubuntu linux. Tell me again why I should run, or even try, OpenCPN Flatpak? A: One reason is when running a non-Long Term Support (LTS) Ubuntu release. The native .deb packages are only distributed for LTS releases, so Flatpak is the only officially supported packaging for other releases..

3. Q: What if my ancient linux system does not support Flatpak at all?

A: We suggest that you update your system, in whatever way seems natural, until you reach a distribution that does support Flatpak. At the moment, some 23 linux distributions are Flatpak capable. See a list here: https://flatpak.org/setup/

4. Q: What about Plugins?

A: OpenPCN Flatpak relies on the managed plugin interface introduced in version 5.1 (Beta). There are no “legacy” plugins available for OpenCPN Flatpak. Almost all plugins available as managed plugins are also available for Flatpak“

5. Q: Can I use a oesenc license purchased for a native installation when using flatpak?

A: No, the flatpak sandbox is seen as a another computer and requires a separate license.

6. Q: Will a flatpak installation pickup the configuration from a previous native installation?

A: No, flatpak uses a separate location for configuration files.

7. Q: Where can I learn more?

A: https://flatpak.org/ https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/ (Nice overview/HOWTO article)

8. Q: Why are plugins like grib unable to send emails?

A: Sending emails currently requires that the flatpak-xdg-utils package is installed. This package is available most distributions including Debian, Ubuntu and Fedora and can thus be installed using for example apt or dnf. See https://github.com/OpenCPN/OpenCPN/issues/2513